The Liberal Democrats have warned that today's ONS
figures on homelessness highlight the gross incompetence and lack
of priorities from local and national politicians. The party warned
the numbers could still be missing thousands of more people trapped
in "hidden homelessness". According to the latest ONS figures, the
North West has the second-highest rate of homeless deaths,
with 103 people dying on the region's streets in 2018. In
Manchester alone, the figures suggest...Request free trial
The Liberal Democrats have warned that today's ONS
figures on homelessness highlight the gross incompetence and lack
of priorities from local and national politicians.
The party warned the numbers could still be missing thousands of
more people trapped in "hidden homelessness".
According to the latest ONS figures, the North West has the
second-highest rate of homeless deaths, with 103 people
dying on the region's streets in 2018.
In Manchester alone, the figures suggest 19 people died.
This ranks the city with the third-highest mortality rate in
the country.
Senior Lib Dems have slammed both local and national
politicians for a critical and consistent failure to
tackle homelessness.
, Leader of the Liberal Democrats
in Manchester, said:
"Perhaps most tragically, these figures are just the tip of the
iceberg. Walk down any city centre street and you will see people
with next to nothing to their name.
"The Tories' complete lack of interest to tackle the national
homeless crisis is aptly coupled with Labour's sickening Homeless
Tax which hits those already struggling even harder.
"Today's figures don't just highlight the gross incompetence
and lack of priorities from local and national politicians, nor is
it just a complete embarrassment, but it exposes the deeply
worrying, critical and consistent failure of a local and
national system that simply doesn’t care.
"In Manchester, only the Liberal Democrats will end this crisis and
we have pledged to end wasteful spending and invest more money
than ever before into preventing homelessness, tackling the causes
and putting an end to the greatest injustice of our
lifetime."
, Liberal Democrat MEP for
the North West, added:
"We are the fifth-largest economy in the world, yet
homelessness figures continue to make grim and heartbreaking
reading.
"Whilst the Tory Government put a gun to the head of the economy
with its reckless Brexit policy, it continues to be the
poorest in society who will be hit hardest.
"These numbers are likely to just be scraping the surfaces. Big
cities like Manchester and Liverpool often have a deep-routed
'hidden homeless' crisis and we must take on the causes.
"Brexit needs to be stopped so we can tackle issues like
this."
